Qantas celebrates 95 years of history and innovation / Boeing 737-800 in "Retro Roo II" livery
On 16 November 1920, the airline was born Qantas, the national carrier of Australia. It is the 3-the oldest airline in the world, after KLM and Avianca.
Today, at 95 years of history, Qantas celebrates by presenting the aircraft Boeing 737-800 (VH-VXQ) in livery „Retro Roo II„. This color scheme was used on Boeing 707 aircraft during 1959-1961. Qantas was the first airline outside the United States to operate Boeing 707s, revolutionizing long-haul flights. In those days, Qantas was the first airline to operate jet aircraft on the Sydney-San Francisco route across the Pacific Ocean.
The inaugural flight on the Sydney - San Francisco route, from 1959!
At the same time, Qantas was the first airline to operate the round-the-world service with Boeing 707 aircraft. The duration of the flights was 70 hours, compared to the 127 hours flown with Super Constellation aircraft. Today, a Qantas-operated Sydney-London flight lasts 21 hours, including a stopover in Dubai.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft in the "Retro Roo II" livery is the second in the Qantas fleet. In November 2014, Qantas introduced a Boeing 737-800 in "Retro Roo" livery, a color combination used between 1971-1984.
We remind you that earlier this year, Qantas donated a Boeing 747-400 (VH-OJA) to an aviation museum in the Illawarra region. The aircraft has a rich history, entering operational service in 1989. The Boeing 747-400 (VH-OJA) enjoys two records: one on the longest flight operated by a jumbo jet - London-Sydney in 20 hours, 9 minutes and 5 seconds and one on the shortest flight operated by a 747 - Sydney – Illawarra in about 15 minutes.
VIDEO: QF7474 flight seen from cockpit
VIDEO: Boeing 747-400 (VH-OJA) Qantas landed at Illawarra